The best dog camping gear – what you need and what you don’t!

Camping is such a great holiday idea when you have dogs. You’ll no doubt find out very quickly that you’re very limited in holiday options once you have your furry friend. It’s tempting to go out and buy a lot of specialist stuff for your trip, so I wanted to do a guide to the best dog camping gear around and what you definitely need.

If you’re looking for tips on camping with dogs so that you and your furry friends have the best time possible then check out my post here.

The best dog camping gear you can’t do without

Tie out cable

Having a way to allow your dog to have a bit of freedom without you always needing to be holding on to them is essential for a stress free camping holiday with your dog. This tie out cable from Rosewood is 30ft long so provides ample room for your dog to wander and not feel like he’s being watch all the time, while still being contained.

You could attach it to something heavy like your chair if you’re sitting on it, but a better option is to have a ground stake (see below).

Ground stake

A ground stake is another essential bit of gear for camping with your dog. It’s a corkscrew metal stake which securely goes in to the ground and can have a leash attached to it. You could use a normal leash, but you might find it a bit restrictive for your dog – a better bet is something like the one above that has a metal core and can’t be chewed through.

It’s small and takes up hardly any space which when you’re camping is so handy! I couldn’t live without this when we go away.

Towels – lots of them!

If you happen to have muddy and wet weather, and let’s face it with our UK summers it’s kinda likely, then you’ll want a steady supply of towels on hand for wet dogs.

I recommend an old towel to have by the door of your tent or caravan that is solely for muddy feet – both yours and the dogs! and also a couple of other towels to dry off wet fur. Microfibre towels like this one are great because they really get the water out of your dog’s coat easily and can dry off quickly too – just hang them up in the breeze. They take up less space than regular towels too which is always a plus.

A dog first aid kit

If you haven’t already got one set up then a first aid kit for your dog is a good addition to your camping gear – you’ll likely be taking your own human version, so either add to it with enough dog friendly things or get a dedicated one like this one.

It has some bandages, dressings, antiseptic wipes, scissors and a foil blanket amongst some other items. One thing I’d add to it is some tick removal tools as I’m a bit squeamish about getting those out without them!

Windbreaks

When you’re camping having your own space is quite a nice idea and it’s essential if your dog might not cope with too many people walking past. I highly encourage you to have some sort of windbreaks available so that you can in effect make your own territory if you need to. General beach windbreaks can work well although they can struggle in some ground. Specific camping windbreaks like this one have mixed reviews because they can be a bit fiddly to work well. They are much more lightweight than the traditional version so if you’re struggling for space then they are definitely a good idea.

What you don’t need to camping with your dog (but are nice to have)

These are good buys if you have the room and don’t want to take your items from home. Maybe you have a caravan and like to have some dedicated dog items stored there so that you always have them with you.

As always, your mileage may vary! If you want to have these then go for it, but don’t feel like you need them for that first camping trip with your furry friend.

Dog camping bed

Some kind of space for your dog to know is his is a good idea when camping. Of course you can just take their bed from home, but if you want something different then a fabric crate like this one is a good idea. It has the added advantage of being a safe and small space that your dog can go in should they need some quiet time.

If you’re going on a long journey you could also use this to keep your dog from moving around too much in the car.

This one is available in Medium, Large and Extra Large sizes – probably not brilliant for the bigger dog breeds but if you have a small breed then it could be a very good buy.

Collapsible dog bowls

Again these are nice to have when camping due to the fact that they fold down and take up much less room than normal bowls. I really like this set from Mudder as they come with carabiner clips so that you can attach them to a bag if you’re out for a walk.

They’re small in size so might not be good for larger dogs or if you have a few.

Dog rain coat

Finally we have a dog rain coat. Now I love the rain coat we have for our dog and I’ll tell you why – on those days when it’s really bucketing it down we can go for a nice walk and I know that yes he’ll be wet, but he’ll not be absolutely sopping wet. It means that we’re not completely relying on our towels to get him dry as he’s been protected slightly.

Now if you have a dog that hates the rain (ha! I know they exist!) or a really short haired dog then a rain coat probably won’t be worth the extra space. But if you are worried about rainy days or have dogs that get cold easily in the rain or just have extra long coats they are a life saver!

This rain coat is a really good one from Muddy Paws – it’s simple, fits over the head and attaches under the dogs tummy. It’s available in lots of sizes too so check out the sizing chart for information on which size to go for.

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